Is it permissible to pray without intention behind the imam in congregation?
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The questioner : Is it permissible to pray without intention behind the imam in congregation?
The Shaykh : I say in answer: Is it possible for this to happen? Is it possible for a sane, adult person to perform an act he does not want? This is impossible. If you asked the one praying, "Where are you going now?" he would say, "I am going to the mosque." "Why?" he would say, "To pray in congregation." It is not possible that he would want anything other than this. So this question is not applicable. Yes, it may come from those who have obsessive doubts who doubt everything, and the one with obsessive doubts has no ruling based on his doubts. It is obligatory for him regarding this doubt to seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan, and to ignore it and stop with the doubts. If he does that, then they will go away by the permission of Allah. And some of the people of knowledge said a sound, correct statement: If Allah had obligated us an act without intention, it would be an obligation of what is not bearable. And he is truthful. If Allah had said to us, "Do acts without intention," we would not have been able to, and it would have been extremely difficult for us. A man came to one of the prominent Hanbali scholars, Ali ibn Aqil (may Allah have mercy on him), and asked him: "O my master, O Shaykh, I go to the Tigris River to perform the full ritual bath from major ritual impurity, so I immerse myself in it, then I come out and say, 'My state of impurity has not been lifted.'" He said to himThe Shaykh : that you have no prayer for you and no prayer upon you. The man was surprised and said, "Why?" He said, "Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Ibn Majah 2041Hasan (Darussalam) And you are nothing but a madman. How do you go to the river and immerse yourself in it, when you came to it to remove the major ritual impurity from yourself, then you come out and say, 'I did not intend'? This is an example that every person with obsessive doubts whom Allah has afflicted with it should keep in mind. We ask Allah the Exalted to remove from our Muslim brothers everything that is not good for them.
The important point is that we say: Whoever comes to the mosque and enters the mosque and stands in the row and says the takbir for the prayer, he must be intending to enter the congregation.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good for this blessed guidance.
The Shaykh : I say in answer: Is it possible for this to happen? Is it possible for a sane, adult person to perform an act he does not want? This is impossible. If you asked the one praying, "Where are you going now?" he would say, "I am going to the mosque." "Why?" he would say, "To pray in congregation." It is not possible that he would want anything other than this. So this question is not applicable. Yes, it may come from those who have obsessive doubts who doubt everything, and the one with obsessive doubts has no ruling based on his doubts. It is obligatory for him regarding this doubt to seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan, and to ignore it and stop with the doubts. If he does that, then they will go away by the permission of Allah. And some of the people of knowledge said a sound, correct statement: If Allah had obligated us an act without intention, it would be an obligation of what is not bearable. And he is truthful. If Allah had said to us, "Do acts without intention," we would not have been able to, and it would have been extremely difficult for us. A man came to one of the prominent Hanbali scholars, Ali ibn Aqil (may Allah have mercy on him), and asked him: "O my master, O Shaykh, I go to the Tigris River to perform the full ritual bath from major ritual impurity, so I immerse myself in it, then I come out and say, 'My state of impurity has not been lifted.'" He said to himThe Shaykh : that you have no prayer for you and no prayer upon you. The man was surprised and said, "Why?" He said, "Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The Pen has been lifted from three : from the sleeping person until he awakens, from the minor until he grows up, and from the insane person until he comes to his senses.
رفع القلم عن ثلاثة: عن النائم حتى يستيقظ، وعن الصغير حتى يبلغ، وعن المجنون حتى يفيقThe important point is that we say: Whoever comes to the mosque and enters the mosque and stands in the row and says the takbir for the prayer, he must be intending to enter the congregation.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good for this blessed guidance.